I have decided to use Frieda Kahlo as my artist. She was a Mexican artist who was born in 1907. She had a very personal and dark artistic style. In 1939 she produced a painting that depicted the suicide of a well known American socialite at the time.
The painting was for a friend of the socialite but was a lot more graphic than she had asked for. It detailed every step of the socialite's suicide.
This is where I got my information from
http://www.cheapoilpainting.com/blogs/frida-kahlo/3967172-kahlo-painting-study-suicide-of-dorothy-hale-1939
I think the story of this painting fits in well with my theme. I can also sympathise with the friend of the socialite, receiving a painting detailing every step of a loved ones suicide must of been like a sledgehammer to the guts.
It's not only the painting that fits with my theme however, Kahlo herself had a very hard life and often thought of suicide. One of these times was while she was producing this painting.
I find her life and the troubles she went though fascinating. She was left paralysed after a car accident and had an abusive husband, these are just the tip of the iceberg that was her problems yet she produced 200 paintings, drawings and sketches throughout her lifetime. A lot of these were self portraits because, as she said, "I am often so alone....Because I am the subject I know best."
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Project update
Yesterday we all had a chat with Suzie and explained our concerns about the project. She talked us through it and confirmed that we were actually doing it right and that we had no need to worry. This has really helped me get on with it as I now don't have any concerns that what I'm doing is wrong.
I have now written up everything that needs to go into my sketch pad so it is now simply a matter of re-writing it and making it all look pretty and presentable. I am going to need to find some more pictures to go into my sketch pad however. I just need some that are going to tie into a story about two sisters that I have. Unfortunately I can't use pictures of the actual sisters as then people will know who they are and that isn't what I want.
So, so far, everything is coming along nicely. I have always known what I'm going to do for my final piece, so that was never a worry and shouldn't take me long at all.
I have now written up everything that needs to go into my sketch pad so it is now simply a matter of re-writing it and making it all look pretty and presentable. I am going to need to find some more pictures to go into my sketch pad however. I just need some that are going to tie into a story about two sisters that I have. Unfortunately I can't use pictures of the actual sisters as then people will know who they are and that isn't what I want.
So, so far, everything is coming along nicely. I have always known what I'm going to do for my final piece, so that was never a worry and shouldn't take me long at all.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Project update
This is the message I sent out to everyone who agreed to participate in my questionnaire, along with the questions themselves.
Right, first off, thank you all for participating in this. I understand this subject is a bit touchy for many people, I'm one of them, so really, thank you.
I want you to be 100% honest with your answers, please don't censor them because of my personal experience of losing someone to suicide noting you say will offend me in anyway. I've already thought everything there is to think on the subject.
I also want you to know that this message is being sent to you all individually and I will NEVER share anybody's answers with anyone else. They will stay between you and me! As soon as I've collected your answers I'm deleting these messages so even I will forget who said what.
There are no questions that will tell me if you're talking about yourself or not, I was very careful with picking my questions, so please don't worry and just be honest.
1: Do you know someone who has entertained suicidal thoughts? (Whether it be you or another)
2: How many people do you know who have had these thoughts? (Please include yourself if it applies)
3: Do you feel you can talk to friends or family about any problems you may have? No matter how serious?
4: Do you feel there is enough outside support for people with suicidal thoughts? (E.G. not friends or family)
5: Do you know of any outside help for people with suicidal thoughts?
6: Do you think there is enough awareness of suicide, the thoughts and the effects?
There are no questions that will tell me if you're talking about yourself or not, I was very careful with picking my questions, so please don't worry and just be honest.
1: Do you know someone who has entertained suicidal thoughts? (Whether it be you or another)
2: How many people do you know who have had these thoughts? (Please include yourself if it applies)
3: Do you feel you can talk to friends or family about any problems you may have? No matter how serious?
4: Do you feel there is enough outside support for people with suicidal thoughts? (E.G. not friends or family)
5: Do you know of any outside help for people with suicidal thoughts?
6: Do you think there is enough awareness of suicide, the thoughts and the effects?
7: What are your personal views on suicide?
Project update
I have decided to do a questionnaire on people's thoughts on suicide to help me with this project. I have sent it around willing participants in my seminar group and also on Tumblr, which is another blogging site I use. The questions are quite personal but I was careful to make sure that the answers would not tell me if the participant was talking about themselves or not.
The answers I have received are also anonymous and no names will appear in my project. I also plan on changing any names that have been given to me in the answers. I was given names in a couple of the answers as they came from friends and I already know the stories they are talking about so they didn't feel the need to hide any names from me.
The answers have so far been surprising. Out of the 12 people who sent the questionnaire back to me, 11 of them know 1 or more people who have had suicidal thoughts. The lowest being none highest being six with an average of 3.5.
The answers I have received are also anonymous and no names will appear in my project. I also plan on changing any names that have been given to me in the answers. I was given names in a couple of the answers as they came from friends and I already know the stories they are talking about so they didn't feel the need to hide any names from me.
The answers have so far been surprising. Out of the 12 people who sent the questionnaire back to me, 11 of them know 1 or more people who have had suicidal thoughts. The lowest being none highest being six with an average of 3.5.
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Project update
I've started a mock sketch pad for this project. I was going to use the sketch pad I've got, but the I realised that it's too small. So I'm using it to write down and visualise my ideas for the actual one instead.
So far I've only done the first 2 pages in the actual sketch pad, but I've written a lot on Word that will go in there, that it's self will probably take up about 2 pages. I've also come up with a questionnaire to help me find out people's thoughts and experiences with suicide. I've sent that around the people who agreed to help me and I'm currently wait for the last few answers.
I'm going to include pictures on this blog of my progress all the way through, so I have evidence of it really. I'm also going to use my mock sketch pad as evidence for this project too.
So far I've only done the first 2 pages in the actual sketch pad, but I've written a lot on Word that will go in there, that it's self will probably take up about 2 pages. I've also come up with a questionnaire to help me find out people's thoughts and experiences with suicide. I've sent that around the people who agreed to help me and I'm currently wait for the last few answers.
I'm going to include pictures on this blog of my progress all the way through, so I have evidence of it really. I'm also going to use my mock sketch pad as evidence for this project too.
Monday, 2 April 2012
My decision for my project.
From looking at my posts thus far you'd have an idea that I'm doing this project on tattoos. Sadly, you'd be wrong. Tattoo's were my original idea yes, hence the three bubbl.us that currently have a place on my blog. However, I was sat here some three hours ago about to write this very post about how I got to my decision to focus on tattoos when I had a brain wave.
I was actually thinking about how I'd admitted to entertaining the idea of doing this project on Leukaemia after my cousin sadly suffered from it when we were little. This is something I don't often talk about as it upsets me. This led to me thinking about my friend Adam. Adam was a friend from school who sadly took his own life on the 26th August 2010. Thinking about Adam and how his death affected us all made me realise that I'd like my project to focus on the effects of suicide, the statistics and the questions it raises.
I sent Adam's mother a message asking her if it would be okay for me to use Adam and our experience with the loss of him as an example. I would never have even written about the thought of this idea if she hadn't said she was okay with it. Her reply could not have been more supportive and thankfully, she is behind this idea 100%. There is one condition to her backing me however, and that is that even though she is completely fine with me using her experiences in my assignment, she would appreciate it if I didn't share what she tells me with anybody else. For me this needn't have been said. I have no plans for anybody who knew Adam to see this assignment, or even know about it.
So my project will start off as my friends and then branch out to Adam and the loss of him, while incorporating the effects of suicide and artists who use loss / suicide in their art.
I was actually thinking about how I'd admitted to entertaining the idea of doing this project on Leukaemia after my cousin sadly suffered from it when we were little. This is something I don't often talk about as it upsets me. This led to me thinking about my friend Adam. Adam was a friend from school who sadly took his own life on the 26th August 2010. Thinking about Adam and how his death affected us all made me realise that I'd like my project to focus on the effects of suicide, the statistics and the questions it raises.
I sent Adam's mother a message asking her if it would be okay for me to use Adam and our experience with the loss of him as an example. I would never have even written about the thought of this idea if she hadn't said she was okay with it. Her reply could not have been more supportive and thankfully, she is behind this idea 100%. There is one condition to her backing me however, and that is that even though she is completely fine with me using her experiences in my assignment, she would appreciate it if I didn't share what she tells me with anybody else. For me this needn't have been said. I have no plans for anybody who knew Adam to see this assignment, or even know about it.
So my project will start off as my friends and then branch out to Adam and the loss of him, while incorporating the effects of suicide and artists who use loss / suicide in their art.
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